Shades of Gray
by Kyra-Arcide
Summary: Kiki Masion has always seen things in black and white, true or false. She's going to find out that not all things are like that. There are always shades of gray. Chapter Two Up!
1. Prologue: Once upon a time

As always I do not own the concept of the Night World, or most of what appears in this story. Kiki and her family are mine. I hope to make this my only author's note for this story.  
  
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Prologue: Once upon a time  
  
Once upon a time, there was a young woman with rather special gifts that had finally found her Soulmate, the person that she had been created for. She knew that as things stood there was no way they could possibly be together. You see they came from different societies, almost different worlds. But she was willing to give up everything for him as long as they could be together.  
  
But her Soulmate could not understand how he had possibly found his Soulmate in a woman who he thought was so very inferior to him in every way. So he beat her and humiliated her in every way he could to make her leave. But she still stayed even though the rest of the town on looked down on her, and where ashamed that she lived there. For he had never said that he didn't love her, and she was sure that deep down he did.  
  
Then one night people from his society came, and took her from her house and flung her at the feet of another woman. This woman told her that she was worthless, and that her Soulmate would never love her. But the young woman stayed silent. She knew that it wasn't true. She knew that he loved her.had to love her.  
  
The other woman seeing these thoughts on her face struck her. The young woman lay on the ground crying from the pain. The rest of the people, the ones that had taken her from her house, laughed at her and shouted suggestions of what the other woman should do to her before she killed the.vermin.  
  
Vermin.that word stuck in the young woman's head. It was then that she turned and noticed that her Soulmate had finally appeared. It was the look in his eyes that caused her now to lose all hope. The look in his eyes called her vermin.  
  
The other woman laughed and struck her again and again. The last thing that the young woman saw before she passed out was the other woman kissing he Soulmate. He had never loved her.  
  
She woke up on the side of the road leading out of town. Crying she stood up and slowly stumbled up the road, away from the man that had betrayed her in the worst way possible. But she hadn't gone too far when an old woman standing by a tree called to her. The woman stopped and looked at her in confusion. This old woman was thought by the townspeople to be a witch, but didn't the townspeople also call her a witch?  
  
But the old woman called out to her again, and she stayed and listened to what the woman had to say. The old woman told her, that one day the society that now scorned her, and thought her vermin, would need her descendants or they would be destroyed. Those descendants would also be soulmated to people in the society.  
  
The young woman in a rage cursed her own descendants. That they would never help the society until their soulmates were willing to give up everything for them, as she had been willing to give up everything for her soulmate. Let the society be destroyed so that it, and those in it, could suffer as she had.  
  
This is a story that has been passed down through my family for centuries. My Grandmother used to tell me this story, as I will tell this story to my children.  
  
When I was little I used to feel so very sorry for the poor woman, and asked my Grandmother happened to her and her soulmate. She merely told me that the woman met a nice young man and got married. They had several kids, but the young woman was never completely happy again. As to her soulmate.well she never answered me. 


	2. Chapter One: When Strangers Meet

Chapter One: When Strangers Meet  
  
When the strange people had come to the house and brought them into this room, she had orginally thought that it was for a party. But after a while of waiting for the fun to start she finally came to the conclusion that it couldn't be a party. If it was a party then it was the only one she had ever been too that no one seemed to be having any kind of fun at all.  
  
A sense of uneasiness began to grow in the pit of her stomach. Where were her mother and father? All most absently, to counteract the uneasiness, she began to play a game that her Grandmother had taught her. The game was actually very simple; try to guess who in the room was lying and who was telling the truth.  
  
"They're too young to be orphans."  
  
"I can't believe that they were left all alone as it is."  
  
False  
  
"Well, the way things turned out, it's a good thing that their parents has such a lack of parenting judgment."  
  
The young girl blonde girl sat on the edge of a sit that was too big for such a small girl as she watched the faces of the adults whenever one of them spoke. Besides her, her twin sat curled up into a ball, scared by the absence of ever one familiar face among crowd of people. Their other sister sat on the far side of the room holding her teddy bear, not saying a word.  
  
As if on a command she couldn't hear the adults crowded around her, blocking everything, but her twin from view. Some of them looked worried, others looked sad, but most of them looked triumphant.  
  
"It's really such a shame that their parents died when they were so young. Of course I always told John that if he married that woman, she would drive him to his death." A woman on her right declared.  
  
True  
  
The small girl felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. Why were these people speaking so badly about their mother? Where was her mom any way? Why didn't she come and make these people go away?!  
  
"I really don't think that that was an appropriate way to phase that, Margaret." A new voice said from somewhere outside of the circle of adults. "I don't see why it's her fault that she happened to be driving when they got hit. If the fates allowed it, John could have been driving that car when that drunk driver hit them."  
  
True  
  
The adults around them grew silent and parted allowing the girl to see threw to the woman standing next to her sister. The woman's hair was a light brown, and her bright blue eyes somehow reminded her of her mother. The woman that had been identified as Margaret stepped forward agressively.  
  
"Well, you would take up for her being her sister now, wouldn't you? Now leave, you have no right to be in this house of mourning!"  
  
The woman's eyes flashed momentarily in anger.  
  
"I have more right then you do, Margaret. In the will I'm sure you'll find that I was named the children's Guardian in case of an accident. I've come to take them home with me."  
  
True  
  
The woman walked towards the young girl and kneeled in front of her. Absently she reached out with one hand and gently patted her twin on the head, comforting her. There was something about this woman that told the girl that she could trust her.  
  
"Do you understand what has happened, darling?" The woman asked her calmly.  
  
The girl shook her head.  
  
"Well." Her face clouded momentarily with pain. "You're mother and father aren't going to be able to come back to you for a long long time. They sent me to take care of you until they can come back, okay? You're going to come home and live with me." She paused for looking at the other children. "You're going to have to be strong. Your sisters are going to need you to help them through this."  
  
True  
  
* * *  
  
Thirteen years later  
  
"Well that seems to be all for today's meeting." Kiki Masion declared looking down at the schedule in front of her. She then looked up back up with a confident smile on her face that had become her trademark in high school. "Does anyone else have anything that they feel we have haven't discussed, or that still needs to be discussed?"  
  
Silence filled the room as the rest of the Student Council looked around at each other.  
  
"Good! Then I call this meeting to an end. Our next meeting will be.two weeks from now." Another smile. "See you then."  
  
Everyone began to move around, and a faint mummur filled the air. It had been a long day for all of them. Kiki gave a sigh and momentarily let the smile drop from her face as everyone filed out of the room.  
  
Ever since that day thirteen years ago, when she and her sisters had been told that their parents were dead, Kiki had worked hard never to let anyone down. It was a show of how well she had done keeping this vow that she had been voted Vice-president or President of five different clubs and two councils. Two of those clubs and one of the councils met on Thursdays.  
  
This day had been way too long. Thankful tomorrow was Friday.  
  
Kiki let a really smile flicker across her face. She had taken her Aunt's advice to heart and had been strong for her sisters, and later been strong for all those that counted on her. She had never lost her calm in the face of anything short of disaster. Even when eight year old Kat had discovered the fact that fire did and could burn through most things.  
  
She began to file away the notes for this meeting and cleaning up some of the mess that the other members had left. In all honestly, she could have had others stay and help her with these chores, but she enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that she got as she finished up for the day. There was nothing like knowing that you had really done something with your time and not let even a minute go wasted.  
  
When Kiki had finished doing that and gathering her things, she looked down at her clock.  
  
Eight thirty.  
  
Aunt Sally had to work the night shift tonight. Kit, her twin, was going to spend the night with one of her friends. The phone number to her friend's house was on the fridge. Katherine would be waiting on the porch, waiting for her to get home. Unless she actually remembered her house key, but knowing Kat the sky would fall first.  
  
It was because her mind was going through its mental list, instinctively turning off the lights and locking doors, that she ran into the young man standing propped up against the frame of the door.  
  
Kiki blinked once or twice getting her mind to focus on her surroundings. She frowned slightly before she looked at the guy she had so thoughtlessly ran into. It just wasn't like her to get so distracted that she actually hit something. Maybe she was sick.  
  
Then she looked up into the most beautiful eyes that she had ever seen. She felt her knees go weak, and her eyes widen. But the moment he opened his mouth a part of her mind instantly distrusted.  
  
"Sorry, if I'd seen you coming I would have moved." He smiled a gorgeous smile at her.  
  
False  
  
She studied him as objectively as she could, which wasn't in all honestness very. He had to be the hottest guy that she had ever seen in her life, which was only being fair. He had midnight blue eyes, and dark black hair. Kit would definitely be having a heart attack right now. That part of her mind that distrusted him noted that he looked utterly sincere. So why was she so sure that he was lying to her?  
  
She smiled at him as these thoughts ran through her head.  
  
"It's okay. It was my fault any way. I didn't think anyone was here so I let myself get distracted. Are you waiting for someone?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
True  
  
"Well, would you really mind waiting outside? I promised that I would lock up for the night." Kiki started to walk forward, but the guy didn't move out of her way. She gave him a look of alarm. Her pulse began to speed up. Why hadn't she left when the others had? Was he going to try something?  
  
He smiled that disarming smile yet again, but this time it had no real affect on her. With a mocking bow he moved out of the way.  
  
Kiki's nerves screamed as she walked past him. What was wrong with her? He was just a guy. A cute guy, but that wasn't a reason to be freaking out like this! She forced her muscles to relax, and smiled her most genuine looking smile.  
  
"Are you starting school here?" Kiki, without looking at him, asked as she locked the front door of the school. As long as he stood there it wasn't polite to ignore him.  
  
"I'm thinking about it." A quick nervous glance told her that he was now leaning against the wall, the very picture of casualness. "My family and I just moved here. I was going to put off starting, but now that I know a girl like you is going here, I'm definitely going to start school as soon as possible." He flashed her yet another smile. He obviously thought he was being very gallent.  
  
False  
  
Well, at least most of what he'd said wasn't true. She believed that he truly was going to start school as soon as possible. She didn't believe that it had anything to do with her looks.  
  
Not that she was bad looking. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back into an efficient ponytail. She was slender and the tallest of her siblings, but she was realist enough to know that her bright blue eyes were by far her only good feature. Her eyes though were nothing compared to the jewel like brightness of the stranger's eyes. He made her feel awkward and young, out of control of the situation. That was not a feeling that she liked at all. There was no way she was going to introduce this guy to Kit.  
  
"Well it was nice meeting. You'll have to look me up when you start school." She turned away from him and started walking toward her car as quickly as politeness allowed. "Good bye!" She shouted over her shoulder. The farther she walked, though, the calmer she felt. Maybe she would even tell Kit about that guy after all, she thought generously. He was definitely more her type any way.  
  
"I'll definitely be seeing you around, Kiki Masion!" The guy shouted after her.  
  
True  
  
Kiki froze in mid-step. She had never told him her name.  
  
"How did you-" Kiki started to say as she turned around, but the young man with the jewel-bright eyes was nowhere to be seen. 


	3. Chapter Two: Bump in the Dark

Kitty Maxwell: Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this story. It's my first so I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!  
  
Here's chapter two. It took longer then I thought it would but it's finally up!  
  
***********  
  
Chapter Two: Bump in the Dark  
  
Kiki pulled into her driveway with a sigh of relief. One of these days she was going to have a long talk with her Aunt Sally about the practicality of living out in the middle of nowhere. Not that she minded when it wasn't dark out, and she knew that she wasn't going to be the only one home for some time. But when those circumstances aligned, as they seemed to do quite often, she hated living so far away from the rest of humanity.  
  
Kiki resolutely forced her mind to think of something else. After a couple of tries her mind finally settled on the Fall Festival. Not that that was very surprising. At this time of year around Rushing Meadows and surrounding areas, the Fall Festival was on every teenage mind. Schools from all over came to be apart of the festivities, and it was a matter of great pride that she, Kiki Masion, was the president of the Festival Committee this year, the committee that planned the whole thing.  
  
With thoughts of all the things she could do with the festival running through her mind, it was no shock that the sound of the porch swing moving scared her as much as it did. Instantly all of her thoughts about the disadvantages of living this far away from anyone filled her head rapidly followed by new ones, the contribution of her overactive imagination.  
  
As she turned toward the swing she couldn't help but remember the last horror movie she'd seen. The heroine, a young woman, had come home thinking she had finally defeated the evil witch. As she went toward the front door she had heard a noise. Slowly she turned to look.  
  
Kiki looked over at the porch swing to see a dark shadowy shape stretched out across it. She took a deep breath, counted to ten, and when that didn't help screamed bloody murder. The shape sat up abruptly with a mild curse, obviously startled. Kiki began to inch backwards as quietly and slowly as you could under the circumstances; she had once read that in situations like this not to make any sudden movements. Of course, she could have also heard that on the Discovery channel.  
  
The Girl in the movie had backed up slowly too, a nasty little voice whispered in the back of her mind. And we all know what happened to her, now don't we? She died. Very very painfully in fact. The shape turned toward her, and seemed to be studying her in some confusion. With that one look, Kiki found that she couldn't move another step. She was going to die and it was going to be all her own fault.  
  
"Geez, Kiki," The shadowy form said as it stood up and moved into the light. "What does a person have to do to get some sleep around here?" Kiki blinked.  
  
"Is that you Kat?"  
  
"Of course it's me, you spaz." The threatening shape quickly evolved itself into a young girl of sixteen with blackish hair and dark brown eyes. Those eyes right now looked confused with a hint of contempt. "I forgot my house key again. This said you know I always doze off on the porch. What is your problem? I've never heard you scream like that in all the time we've lived together. As Shakespeare once said."  
  
True  
  
Kiki forced her muscles to relax as she absently tuned her sister out. Katherine Masion may be the leper of Julius High, but there was no reason to actually fear her. A mental picture of the guy who she had met flashed across her mind. Nervously she glanced around at the surrounding forest. A movement in the trees caught her attention.  
  
"Hey Kat? Where's Darkmoon?" Kiki said interrupting her sister's quoting spree. Darkmoon was an over-sized wolf that was considered the family pet. He often wondered around in the forest during the night, Kiki reminded herself. There was no reason to jump to yet another conclusion. She was ashamed enough as it was reacting that way toward Kat.  
  
"No clue." Kat said shrugging. "He ran off before I started to doze. He'll come in eventually." Kiki gave a sigh of relief. It had probably been Darkmoon. "Hey, are you ever going to open that door, or are we going to have to wait for Aunt Sally to come home?" The touch of annoyance running through her voice finally snapped Kiki out of her thoughts.  
  
"Of course." Kiki pulled out her keys and after one or two false starts she managed to open the door. All she needed was a good night's sleep to restore her serenity. She would not allow the insanity of this day be repeated. She just couldn't.  
  
* * *  
  
Sapphire smiled as he watched his current target go into the old house that was apparently her home. This job was going to be so easy, and it paid so very well. His smile turned savage. Poor little vermin didn't know what was good for her.  
  
One more day and he was confidant that he could bring her to heel. Then one little trip, and this job was over. Maybe he'd play with her a little before he turned her over. After all, his employer had never said that the vermin had to be in her right mind.  
  
Briefly he wondered why his employer was actually paying so much for only one little human, but just as quickly as the thought had come it left. It was really none of his concern as long as he got paid.  
  
"Good night, little vermin. I want you at your best for the next time we meet." He spoke in a normal voice never fearing for a second that he would be overheard. "I do want something of a challenge out of this." He turned around and started back through the forest to where he had parked his car.  
  
Humans were such stupid creatures. He had even warned her that he was there. For a moment she had looked straight at him, but her poor pathetic mind would not allow her to believe for even a second that what she had sensed was real.  
  
This was just going to be too easy.  
  
Ring  
  
Sapphire paused in mid-step. What the?!  
  
Ring  
  
No. He searched his pockets until his hands finally came in contact with his cell phone. It couldn't be! Only someone who had a death wish would call this number. He only kept the damn thing for when he needed to contact someone, not the other way around.  
  
He snapped it open with a practiced gesture, and angrily turned it on.  
  
"Who the heck it this?! And how in the nine hells did you get this number?!"  
  
"Do not take that tone with me, little vampire." A smooth female voice answered on the other end. Sapphire felt the color drain from his face.  
  
"Sorry, My Lady." He stuttered nervously. "I didn't know that you knew this number. I mean...I wasn't expecting you to call."  
  
"I know everything, Sapphire, and you would do all to remember that. Now tell me what has happened." He heard the faintly the sound of someone laughing in the background on the other end of the phone. He shuttered. The things that entertained his employer and her friends were enough to scare him out of his mind. Especially since they were known for making people who had failed them suffer as much as possible for entertainment as well.  
  
"I've made initial contact with the target. I see no reason to believe that there should be any resistance."  
  
"Did you keep your thoughts clean when you were around her, did she ever make contact with any of your clothing?" The sharpness in her voice confused Sapphire. Why would she find something as silly as that important?  
  
"I kept up the usual surface thoughts, and no she didn't make physical contact. I also made sure to confuse her mind enough that she wasn't suspicious."  
  
"Good job." The voice purred seductively. "I knew you were the right person for this job. Just keep your thoughts to yourself, and avoid any active contact with her sisters. It's her I want, not them." The click of the phone being turned off informed Sapphire that the conversation was obviously over.  
  
"I do know my job, bitch." Sapphire hissed in frustration slamming his fist into the truck of a nearby tree. Trying hard to regain his lost calm he put his cell phone back into his pocket. He didn't have to like his employers to work for them, which was one of the first rules that he had ever learned. As long as their money was good, personal preference had no place in a business deal.  
  
That thought didn't help much.  
  
Sapphire continued through the forest. He needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.  
  
* * *  
  
A faint flash of gold was the only hint that he had been, and was still, laying among the bushes. The vampire hadn't thought for even a moment that anyone would overhear him, and he had been right to a point. But in his arrogance he hadn't thought of the wildlife that had made this forest their home.  
  
He stood up and walked softly out into the open, his black fur gleaming gently in the moonlight. His mouth opened in silent laughter as he watched the vampire storm off through the trees. Superior race his paw.  
  
He stopped laughing quickly though as the thought of the conversation he had overheard sobered him up. Who was his "target"? And what the heck was he going to do with them when he caught them?  
  
He turned and trotted toward the Masion family's house. His eyes flashed once more as he watched the lights in the old house flicker out one at a time. When they were all out he turned and left. 


End file.
